Earlier this week, aircraft developer PMDG has published a new update on its much anticipated 737-700 project for Microsoft Flight Simulator, discussing the status of the aircraft’s testing, developmental progress, and upcoming plans.

According to the developers, the testing of the aircraft continues smoothly, with some 70 issues reported by the testers and more than 120 solved by the development team. However, despite the 737 currently performing at a near satisfactory level, the developers expressed their frustration that MSFS currently lacks “tools that [they] would normally use to improve code stability and look for areas that require optimization”, preventing them from gaining vital insights on key areas needing improvements.

In addition to updates on testing, the team also shined light on their current task of improving the details of some areas “to evaluate the impact different techniques may have on the performance of the simulator”. The developers are trying to gradually increase the level of details without sacrificing any performance, a process aided by their “increased confidence in Asobo's rendering engine”. The developer's progress is demonstrated by the completely rebuilt fire handles and light knobs pictured above.

Finally, the developers revealed that a “full bore promotional process” will soon start, presenting the public with additional details on the aircraft and answering their questions.

Currently, PMDG has not revealed the release date of the aircraft, claiming that its carefully designed workflow and testing procedure currently prevent it from determining a precise date. However, the developers teased that the 737 is “very close to that point” where a firm release date can be set and the embargo can be lifted for beta testers.

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